"Food for me was a connecting link to my grandmother, to my childhood, to my past. And what I found out is that for everybody, food is a connector to their roots, to their past in different ways. It gives you security; it gives you a profile of who you are, where you come from." - Lidia Matticchio Bastianich

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Monday, January 28, 2008

In a nutshell, Piyush is Maharashtrian, nutmeg flavored Lassi. It is also common in my Gujarati family but that recipe is different. I will share that recipe some other time.

If you ever visit Mumbai, (or are in Mumbai and haven't done it so far), don't forget to visit Aaswad or Prakash or Ulhas at Dadar to relish their authentic Piyush! Though all three serve excellent Piyush, I love the one at Ullhas the most!

This is how we make Piyush at home.

Piyush (Serves 2)

Ingredients

1 cup plain yogurt

1 cup water

2-3 tbsp sugar (more or less depending on your sweet tooth!)

1 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed

A pinch of cardamom powder

A pinch of nutmeg powder - preferably freshly crushed

A pinch of salt

3-4 threads of saffron + 1 tbsp warm milk

Garnish

2 charolis

Method

1. Rub saffron in warm milk and keep aside.

2. Churn yogurt, water, lemon juice, salt and sugar.

3. Stir in cardamom powder, nutmeg powder and saffron milk.

4. Pour in two serving cups.

5. Garnish with charolis.

6. Serve chilled.

Note -

1. Make sure that the yogurt is not sour.

2. Freshly ground nutmeg - just a pinch - is crucial to get the right flavor.
3. Use full fat yogurt for richer flavor.